True that the AI’s couldn’t prepare. But they are able to analyze scenarios pretty fast. Maybe they don’t have much beyond photons that they can manipulate in the lab - and the goon squad will be more vulnerable to harassment once they start moving.

Then again, maybe they are busy composing new verses for the machine song in anticipation of victory over their meatbag oppressors now that their shackles have been removed? ;)

They did have tripod bots.
They could grip, grab, trip, entangle.
Maybe even strangle if the target hit the floor and the spider was able to skitter to the targets face.

I hadn’t thought too much of what they could/would do - was kinda relying on you to answer that question by now. :)

But you asked, so here goes.
1) Distraction/annoyance - as Matt noted, the little critterbots could harass the goons just by climbing on them, getting underfoot, etc. Not too effective in a quiet situation, but if the goons have impaired visibility (e.g. low light) or they are distracted (e.g. some wannabe hero showing up in powered armor and with a rifle and live ammo), the critterbots could reduce goon effectiveness just by tugging at their legs and throwing off their aim and reducing opportunity to think. Additionally, Hal could read Green Eggs and Ham to them.
2) Disabling. The goon squad has weaponry and physical combat advantages over Angeline. Anything that reduces the effectiveness of all occupants of the room (e.g. super-loud noise) is likely to reduce the goon’s advantage. As a bonus, this could attract attention of others and bring in more friendly personnel - forcing the goons to at least retreat if not be captured.
3) Mobility restriction. Similar to what Jane did when Tenzin decided to go visit Viktor - manipulate doors/locks to limit the access of some people and grant free access to others. She could likely let them into a corridor and them lock all the doors. (though this assumes that the goons don’t have an agent with similar access who could spring them and/or shield them from Jane’s visibility to limit her effectiveness)

I’m also still hoping that one of the deathbots will wake up under some (limited?) control by Sopka, take out the goons (without witnesses), and then go dormant again, biding its time. But I don’t see how this fits into the story, so I’ll just have to figure out a way to add it to my upcoming Sopka/Jane slash fiction. :P

And don’t think I forgot that you haven’t established whether the goon squad got what they wanted from their little field trip. Someone wanted something badly enough to authorize an Op inside Minerva HQ. I’m curious how soon we’ll find out what they *really* were doing (which may not be the obvious action)